Afghanistan's top Taliban leader has issued a decree urging leaders and commanders of various groups not to practice polygamy. "By doing this, we are giving our enemies a chance to criticize," he said. The BBC's Khudai Nur Nassar is giving this news.
According to religion, Muslim men can marry four times. And polygamy is still legal in Pakistan, Afghanistan and some Muslim-majority countries. But Taliban sources told the BBC that the commanders needed more money to carry out the polygamy.
The reason for this is that the bride has to pay a high price to get married in many Pashtun and tribal families in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The decree was issued at a time when the time was politically sensitive for the Taliban and the country.
The militant group is in talks with the government about the country's future. Sources say top Taliban leaders are concerned about allegations of corruption by their members.
There are allegations against members. They have taken the initiative to raise money to perpetuate polygamy.
Most senior Taliban leaders have multiple wives. However, the new decree will not apply to those who are already polygamous.
What is being said in the decree
The decree, issued in the name of Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Haibatullah, says it does not prohibit second, third or fourth marriages.
However, the amount of money being spent on the wedding is giving the Taliban an opportunity to criticize their opponents.
If all leaders and commanders avoid polygamy, they will not have to engage in illegal corruption," the decree said. However, there are some exceptions.
Polygamy can only be committed by men who have no children, or who have no children from a previous marriage, or who are married to a widow, or who can support more than one wife.
The decree says that if one wants to have polygamy in this situation, he has to get permission from his superior directly before arranging the marriage.
A Taliban source told the BBC that the letter had been leaked to all levels of the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
How widespread is polygamy?
The Pashtun society of Afghanistan and Pakistan has a long history of polygamy.
In these cases, the girls have nothing to say about who they will marry and when.
In rural patriarchal Pashtun society, not having children after marriage, especially not having a son, is seen as one of the reasons for another marriage.
Another reason is quarrels in the family, for which only the wife is responsible.
A widow is married to the brother of her deceased husband. This protects both the widow and the family. However, the person being married may already be married. And for those who are financially well off, polygamy is a matter of dignity.
In these marriages, there is a custom called 'walwar' or bride price, which gives the bride's family money in exchange for handing over the daughter to the husband.
Meanwhile, with economic pressures and changing social behavior, polygamy has been discouraged in recent decades.
But in the modern world, the idea has been kept alive, says Rita Anwari, an Afghan activist in Australia.
Islam allows men to have more than one wife, but Miss Anwar said "on certain conditions." Such as "if the wife is ill and cannot take care of the children. And there are also" certain balanced orders ".
Unfortunately today men have forgotten all the rules to fulfill their desires in the combination of his strength and power,” he said.
It is completely wrong for a man to have more than one wife if he cannot take care of all the wives equally financially, physically, mentally".
Polygamy of Taliban leaders:
Most senior Taliban leaders have multiple marriages.
The late Mullah Mohammad Omar, the founder of the Taliban in Afghanistan, and his successor, Mullah Akhtar Mansour, had three wives.
The current head of the Taliban, Mullah Haibatullah, has two wives.
When asked by the BBC on Taliban sources - Which Taliban leader has more than one wife? The counter-question from the source is - "Who doesn't?"
Why is polygamy being controlled now?
For many years, Afghan government officials have said that while Taliban leaders have been living a life of luxury, soldiers spend most of their time there.
The good news is that Taliban fighters have fallen ill while fighting and are now having a great time with their fourth and fifth wives," Afghan President Ashraf Ghani told a panel discussion at the Davos World Economic Forum last year.
For Taliban leaders, the bride's price has become a financial concern.
The news is that they are spending from 26 thousand pounds to one lakh pounds for a wedding. This money they are taking from the organization's funds or raising money in a controversial way.
